28 July 2010

One of my favorite people asked me to go over her limited Colegrove notes the other day. I am always glad to help her. She descends from Lydia Colegrove Vanover who died 16 February 1915 in Boyd County, Kentucky.

Lydia's death certificate is filed with Kentucky Vital Statistics and says that her father is J. D. "Coalgrove" and Elizabeth "Coalgrove." Said friend had no further information than the certificate that I had provided her but it did not take us long to ascertain through census records that J. D. was Jedediah D. Colegrove.

Armed with these pieces of evidence I decided to follow the trail after my friend left my office. It did not take long in our internet world to locate several full copies of The History and Genealogy of the Colegrove Family In America With Biographical Sketches, Portraits, Etc. by William Colegrove, DD, LL, D. published in 1894 by the author.

The publication [page 378] listed Jedediah Colegrove [s. Jeremiah...] of Lawrence County, KY; farmer; born November 2, 1811 d. July 29, 1882. M. 1833, Elizabeth STUMP b March 16, 1813, d. in 1891. The death is just three years prior to the publication of the Colegrove book.

Doing a typical search I found the information repeated and repeated on many sites. All stated that his wife was Elizabeth Stump. They also added the middle name of Darius to Jedediah.

These publications of the 1880's are wonderful sources and thousands were written during this time frame. I theorize that people began having a serious genealogy attraction during relative peace time in the United States. They were able to concentrate more on home and family. Most of the publications were based on oral information, bible notations [good evidence] and hand written letters around the country. Etiquette of the time would eliminate the author writing anything considered improper. All information was sorted and resorted and copied and recopied before publication. So while they are a wonderful valued tool they need to be documented with our newer technology and access to legal records.

Something just did not ring true and sent up my inner red flag about wife Elizabeth being a Stump. Why? Because the 1880 Federal Census of Lawrence County, Kentucky showed the Vanover's including Elizabeth born about 1813 in Kentucky with parents born in Pennsylvania and a mother-in-law named Catharine Elaxander age 87 also born in Pennsylvania.

By now I also had found a notation by late historian Evelyn Jackson saying that J. D. was [J.] Dyer Colegrove and that Elizabeth was Elizabeth Long. Tracking her notation I quickly found the 27 July 1833, Greenup County, Kentucky marriage of Dyer Colegrove to Elizabeth Long. The original Greenup records have been replaced with copied typed versions because of a lose of records in the clerks office. Maybe they misread the middle name Darias/Dyer? We will leave that for later scrutiny.

It was now time to track Catharine Elaxander aka Alexander and see where we wondered. I found her living with Alexanders in Perry Township, Lawrence County, Ohio in 1870. The census indicates that she is "infirm" along with a John Alexander aged 70, born in Kentucky still working on the farm.

In 1860 John and Catharine Alexander resided at Star Furnace, Carter County, Kentucky in the district next to where the Colegrove's are enumerated the same year. Tracking back, the family is in Greenup County in 1850 and among Alexander household members is also a William Long age 19 born in Kentucky.

Armed with basic census information I again reviewed Greenup County Marriages 1803-1853 published by the Hardiman's in 1980. John Alexander married Catharine Long 23 February 1838 in that county.

Since Elizabeth was born in 1813 in Kentucky it seemed plausible that I would locate a first marriage of Catharine as well. Utilizing the same resource I located the marriage of Henry Long 15 October 1813 to Catharine Stump the daughter of Christopher.

I had now resolved my original red flag issue. Catharine Long Alexander was nee Stump. Someone provided a complete birth date of 16 March 1813 for Elizabeth for the Colegrove genealogy publication. So now we have a new red flag. Who was the father of Elizabeth Stump Colegrove? When Elizabeth married she utilized the father's surname she had known since she was an infant: Long.

When Henry Long died he did not leave much. A sale bill was filed in Greenup Will book 3 page 137 dated 31 December 1836 and filed the following 6 March. The estate consisted of a sorrel horse, colt, corn, 5 head of hogs, 4 head of cattle, saddle and bridle. They were all purchased by John Long for a sum of $9.50.

This certainly did not leave much for Catharine Stump Long Alexander to exist on, even though her daughter Elizabeth was grown and already married to Jedediah Colegrove. She still had a son, William [b. 1831] living with her in 1850 from her marriage to Henry Long.

William Henry Long had a guardian filed in Will book 5 page 364 4 April 1859 in Greenup County, Kentucky. It states that Jacob Howe was appointed guardian of William Henry Long, infant heir of Henry Long, dec'd with Allen Myers as security "for the purpose of getting a land warrant from the Federal Government for services of Henry Long, dec'd in the War of 1812. The document states that Howe had tried but failed to get the Land warrant and had not received property of any kind whatever belonging to his ward, William Henry Long. Howe goes on to state that Henry Long had died insolvent.

I doubt Catharine's daughter,Elizabeth, had an easy life born under the cloud of unrest in 1812/13 and living through the period of strife of the Civil War. Her husband, Jedediah D. Colegrove, appears on the rolls of the 22nd Kentucky Infantry. He enrolled at Grayson October 1861 and gave his age as 44 years old. His papers are 11 pages long riddled with entries of illness. He was finally released from duty because he was weak and had not been with his unit much, at Memphis, Tennessee.

Jedediah certainly wanted to serve his country. He lied about his age because he was 50 at the time and the requirements said that anyone over 45 was to old to serve for the union. A graph on American Civil War Research shows many in this age group did the same thing. His discharge seems to prove that age did matter. It reads "I know of nothing of any particular disease affecting...the soldier...it is general debility rendering him to be weak and feeble for even the lightest duties of a soldier...I have known said soldier for the greater portion of 11 months during the greater portion of which time he has been sick either in the hospital or in quarters..."

In 1880, living in Lawrence County, Kentucky J. D. Colegrove gives his age as 73 with a very hard to read notation that appears to say he has palsey and can't work. Elizabeth gives her age as 64, which would place her birth in 1816 instead of the earlier cited 1813. If this is the case then she is Henry Long's daughter.

The 1820 Greenup census shows two females under 10 in Henry Long's house which does not resolve the question. When was Elizabeth born? This age group simply places her birth between 1810 and 1820.

Elizabeth was born seven months prior to her mother's marriage to Henry Long according to the cited full birth date. The author of the 1894 publication chose not to utilize the Long surname but does not give documentation to validate her having to use the Stump surname. The War of 1812 was underway and Henry Long could be her father. Elizabeth chose him as such when she utilized his surname at her own marriage in 1833.

While some of the vanity genealogies published in the 1880's were flowery giving detailed accounts of heroism, Colegrove's publication gives very little information on each individual but certainly provides us room to continue researching. Said friend now has a little more information to continue on her own journey about the Stumps and their several other marriages in the Colegrove family.

27 July 2010

My copy of the History of Greenup County, Kentucky was handed down to me. It is cherished and belonged to my great uncle Henri Gorath Halderman.

Uncle Henri had a knack for writing notations in books. Yes, we are taught in school not to deface or dog ear or write in books. But how wonderful that Henri still talks to me through the many books from his library. Some of his entries are humorous, many historical and a few naughty. He also glued clippings and even stuck stamps in books.

As a side bar, the back of my copy of the Greenup history includes four prepaid sales tax stamps for the state of Ohio, now collector items. In pencil under the stamps Henri wrote "I returned a book on which I paid tax evidently the clerk allowed me credit on the tax as well as the first cost. For I paid 10 cents for this book and the state tax would be 30 cents. 1951."

The history book was written by Nina Biggs and Mabel Lee Mackoy in 1951 and Uncle Henri's memory of the incident written about on page 86 was to large to include in the margins so he paper clipped a sheet of writing paper to the page. Since he presented the book to my mother I believe he was addressing her when he wrote his memories of that fatal day.

Page 86 has a sub title "Tragedies" and includes several incidences. Paragraph two:

"In 1887, William H. Mackoy, of Siloam, was killed when a gun he was carrying was accidentally discharged as he was mounting his horse."

In pencil Uncle Henri has written " Dr. S. S. Halderman, Sciotoville was called." Then attached, in ink, is the story as told by Henri Gorath Halderman. Henri was the son of Stephen Simpson Halderman, M.D. I have left all spelling and writing in Halderman's own words.

"On page 86 - it is recorded that William H. MacKoy was accidently shot while hunting. He was climbing over a fence and carelessly placed his gun over the fence and leaned upon it to climb over and the gun was discharged as I recall so it was told. Your grandfather S. S. Halderman was located at Sciotoville at the time and was called. He took me with him and while he was engaged I was amusing myself by climbing upon a stake and rider fence to see better the men working on the C&O RR bed which had but at that time was built thru to Maysville, KY. I ran a splinter in my left thumb and upon removing home father cut it out - my thumb nail yet shows a split where father cut a 'V' shaped piece out to remove the splinter. I was 11 years old and remember yet how hungry I grew waiting on the river bank for a skiff with Mrs. Davis to get across the Ohio River to home.

Apropos of all this, I was told by one of the author's of this book, Mabel Mackoy that at the time of the accident to William Mackoy the question arose "what doctor shall we call" and Mabel's father suggested Dr. S. S. Halderman just across the river and added - by the way Dr. Halderman is a DEMOCRAT, too..."

I was able locate the sale that followed William Mackoy's administration, published in the Portsmouth Times 26 November 1887. "Saturday, December 3rd, at the residence of the late W. H. Mackoy, Greenup County, Kentucky, opposite Sciotoville, Ohio at 10:00 a.m." Among the items being cited in the sale is a horse, a colt, cows and sundry items. J. B. "Macoy" was administrator.

As a child walking along Gay Street in Portsmouth, hand in hand, with my great uncle I can remember seeing the funny shape of his thumb nail. He loved his books and had a large collection on the 2nd floor of the family home. Tomorrow I am sure to open another book and find more tidbits, wisdom and wit that are scribed in his hand.

William Henry Mackoyborn 31 August 1856died 16 November 1887burial: Old Christian Church Cemetery at Siloam.

23 July 2010

Catlettsburg, March 10. -- A sad accident happened near Bolts Fork, in this county, yesterday afternoon in which Camellas Clay was the victim. He, in company with two of his brothers and a young friend, were out squirrel-hunting, and they cut down a tree, and a limb struck Clay on the head, breaking the skull and causing the brains to come out. He still lingers, but is unconscious and will die.

Camellas Milton Clay was born 28 July 1870, the son of John M. Clay and Catharine Lambert Clay. Clay had three older brothers, William, John and James. It is unclear which of the elder brothers he was with that day.

The Ashland Independent has been extracted in the publication Bygone Bylines for the following day, March 20, 1884. There is no mention of the incident.

Camellas Milton Clay did survive the accident. He is listed in the 1900 Carter County, Kentucky census as Milton Clay along with wife [A]merica and two sons. This census says they have been married seven years. No occupation is listed. The family lives next door to a Kiser family.

C. M. Clay became a physician at some point in his life. The Directory of Deceased American Physicians 1804-1929 lists him as C. Milton Clay. It simply says that his type of practice was Allopath and that he died March 1912. This death data is incorrect.

The family is listed in the Pleasant Valley District of Carter County, Kentucky in 1910. The census taker misspells the given name Camellas. This time Clay's occupation is given as a physician in general practice.

Camellas Milton Clay died 19 February 1912 at Pleasant Valley, Carter County, Kentucky. His death certificate is under C. M. Clay, M. D. and does not list his full name. His wife was living at the time of his death. The certificate states that he is buried in Kiser Cemetery.

Today Kiser Cemetery is called Kiser - Gilliam Cemetery. On a beautiful sunny day this past month, prior to the awful flooding that hit the Grahn area this past weekend, my husband and I took a drive to visit the cemetery for photographs. From I64 we took the Carter Caves exit then west on US 60. Manned with directions from the USgenweb Carter County site we had no trouble locating the cemetery. Exactly 1/2 mile on #60 we turned left at the caution light on route 182 towards Grahn. Exactly 2.4 miles on #182 we turned right on Kiser Branch Road. We turned left on Kiser Fork Road and traveled .2 as instructed to the top of a very steep hill. At the very top of the hill we turned right about 200 yards and followed it .2 of a mile where it ended at the cemetery.

We found the cemetery fenced and maintained having been recently mowed.

America Clay died 1 March 1957 and is buried beside her husband in the cemetery.

Son Emil Liscom Clay is also buried next to his parents. Emil was born 2 February 1903 and died 10 September 1922 from a punctured appendix. His death certificate shows that he died in the Grahn district of Carter County.

19 July 2010

The sun was blazing on our day trip to Ivel, Floyd County, Kentucky. Our outing to Davidson Memorial Cemetery was two fold. We wanted to pay our respects to aunt Mildred Rucker Hall Crisp and Boone Hall. Both Mildred and Boone had taught for many years in the Floyd County school system. Secondly we wanted to see if there was a marker for Confederate Soldier Middleton Garrett.

The office 3x5 cards quickly verified that there was no marker for Middleton Garrett. We parked the car on the hillside and walked among the various sections taking the stairs up and down the hillside. Flowers overwhelmed the cemetery that is teetering, literally on the hill. As I turned to head back to the shade of the car I smiled as I recognized a very familiar name.

Henry Preston Scalf was one of the first people I corresponded with when I began genealogy in the 1970's. [Ok I admit I have been around awhile!] Sadly I was introduced to him near the end of his life. We became acquainted when I subscribed to The East Kentuckian. Scalf was editor and I looked forward to the quarterly bringing me a little flavor of Kentucky while living in New Jersey.

Looking back at the old newsletters that have traveled with me from New Jersey to Ohio and finally back to our beloved Eastern Kentucky, I see the love he put into everything he did. Each of my 1978 editions are hand addressed. By 1979 Scalf's friend and fellow writer, Clayton Cox had taken over as editor of the publication. The front of the March issue shows a wonderful picture of Henry P. Scalf standing beside a Kentucky highway marker commemorating Tandy R. Stratton on Mare's Creek, Floyd County. I had found my way to this wonderful publication because of connections between the McBrayer and Stratton families.

Cox began the issue with information on the founder of The East Kentuckian stating that he was a "distinguished historian and genealogist of Eastern Kentucky." Henry Scalf was also a distinguished teacher in the Floyd County School system but for most of us we will forever remember him for his many publications on history and genealogy and what he has taught us about our Eastern Kentucky ancestors. He was awarded a Kentucky Citation for Outstanding Journalism in 1954.

Among his many publications was Kentucky's Last Frontier with an honored forward by Thomas D. Clark who was named Historian Laureate of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The book is still available and gets a five star rating on most sites handling the publication. Another favorite publication of Scalf's was Four Men of the Cumberlands which told of the story Devil John Wright and others and is now out of print.

Henry Preston Scalf married 21 October 1831 in Pike County to Norah James who also loved teaching. When her husband became ill Norah took the reins of the quarterly to keep it going until Clayton and wife Elizabeth Cox stepped in. At that time the publication shifted from Stanville, Kentucky to a Lexington address.

If it were not for teachers and genealogists like Henry Preston Scalf, I may not have taken up pen and paper to follow the path I have taken. It has been a good journey and because of Scalf and his creative publications I have been able to formulate a respect for the pioneers that proceeded me in these wonderful hills that I call home. His research was grass roots and in depth research without aide of the click of a computer. He knew the importance of sharing information with others so that our history would continue to be handed down from generation to generation.

Standing on the side of the hill just outside Allen at Ivel, Floyd County, Kentucky I paid my respects and knew the warm feeling was not just from the sun beating down but the warmth of good feelings for those that came before us so we could continue on the journey.

18 July 2010

Driving back north on US#23 from Pike County, Kentucky to Bolt's Fork on the border of Lawrence County and Boyd County on a super highway is a breeze these days. However, viewing the changing terrain makes one think about the challenges our Eastern Kentucky pioneers had when settling the area.

In my last blog I described Lesley Settlement on John's Creek and spoke of William Robert Lesley and son Robert. When William and Robert left Virginia to travel to John's Creek, son John Lesley remained behind.

John, according to his tombstone and NSDAR papers was born 22 November 1760. Lesley served 18 months on the Clark Expedition to Illinois and is listed as receiving bounty land in George Rogers Clark Papers 1771-1784 edited by James A. James. This is probably the land that he made a survey for on the waters of the Bluestone.

John appears on the 1793 Wythe County tax list as John Lestly. He was recommended to the Commission of the peace in Tazewell County in 1812. Often the spelling of his name was contorted and read as Lasly/Lasley/Lestley/Leslie and other variants.

By 1815 John Lesley had deeded 1/2 acre near where he lived on the Bluestone, now Tazewell County, to the trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church [Tazewell deed book 2 page 509] and began selling parcels of land while giving other acreage to his son William.

In Lesley/Leslie 200 Years in America the author indicates that John Lesley and family may have stopped in the area of Lesley Settlement for a couple of years between 1827 and 1833. He does appear on the 1830 Federal Census of Pike County.

John then migrated to Lawrence County, Kentucky. The trip from John's Creek northward could not have been easy. When he applied for a pension in Lawrence County, Kentucky in April 1833 [#25016] the name was filed as Lasley. At this time he states he is a resident of the East Fork of Little Sandy and is 72 years of age.

The following year, 16 June 1834, son John P. Lesley had a confrontation with Josiah Lambert. The Lawrence County Circuit Court record states that Lesley had received a brutal assault and beating at the hands of Lambert. Testimony was requested on his behalf by Gordon Coburn, Isaac Bolt, William Lesley, and Briant Fannin. In April 1835 John P. Lesley wrote a note " Mr. James Rice, Sir I want you to stop that suit of mine as we have compromised it. He says he will pay all costs. I do not see there would be any chance of getting any thing out of him for he is not worth twenty-five cents...John P. Lesley."

When Ruth Cleveland Leslie published her book in 1956 she wrote about the burial of the elder Revolutionary John Lesley: "No actual account of his death was discovered by this researcher but he apparently died before another payment was due in April 1842. The aforementioned source also states that he was also buried in Pike County. However, no information as to the specific burial place was learned." NSDAR applications simply state he died circa 1841. Some online submitted trees still show John Lesley with a death in Pike County.

There is no indication that John Lesley returned to Pike County after filing for a pension in Lawrence County, Kentucky. He appears on the 1840 Lawrence County, Kentucky census as J. Lasley. He appears on the 1841 tax list for Lawrence County as well but does not appear on the 1842 tax list.

Driving north from Pike County on US #23 then left on Old Route #3 past routes to Yatesville Lake is a wonderful afternoon drive. Head up #3 and turn on Bolts Fork Road on the East Fork of the Little Sandy, now Route #773 you meander past the pioneer lands of Isaac Bolt and John D. Ross and what was once Sandy Furnace. Beyond Sandy Furnace you will see Ross Chapel and Jacks Fork Road. And just a short distance more on the right you will see a charming cemetery known as Leslie Cemetery. When the first burials took place in this cemetery it was part of Lawrence County now Boyd County.

Under the shade trees in Leslie Cemetery is a weather beaten stone that is unreadable. Apparently Ruth was not aware of or could not read the stone when she wrote her publication in 1956. When a reading was done in October 1968 historian, Evelyn Jackson, created a rough map of the cemetery and marked a "?" for the old weather beaten stone directly under the tree. She returned to the cemetery again in March 1978 again leaving the stone as unidentified.

Between 1978 and July 2001 the old weathered stone was replaced to honor John Lesley who had helped protect Virginia, saw the Wabash, and traveled the pioneer creeks and hollows of Eastern Kentucky to settle and finally rest under the shade trees of Bolts Fork.

16 July 2010

July 2010 has had some perfectly beautiful sunny days just right for day trips around Eastern Kentucky.

Shelved within the library nook of Family Lineage Investigations is Ruth Cleveland Leslie's book Lesley Leslie 200 Years in America 1755-1955. So I was extremely pleased during our day trip this week to end up on John's Creek in Pike County, Kentucky and plant me feet at Lesley Settlement described so well by Ruth in her book.

The Kentucky road side marker is placed at Lesley Settlement at the corner of Hurt's Branch and while educational is not nearly as colorful or insightful as Ruth's publication. The marker tells us that Leslie/Lesley Settlement was the first permanent settlement of the Big Sandy Valley and named for Revolutionary soldier William Robert Leslie.

In the publication the author tries to visually describe the beauty of John's Creek. Standing there and spending the afternoon driving along the creek I can attest that words would never do justice to the area. Ruth Leslie states in the first paragraph "...that word which William Lesley is reported to have said when he first glimpsed the low-lying meadows: "God! What a Spot for Man to Live."

The family came from Virginia. The family consisted of William Robert Lesley, son Robert and Robert's wife Elizabeth and ten children. They erected a log home with the help of the family. William Robert Lesley was approximately 73 years old when they settled the area. Ruth writes on page 15 of her publication: "After the death of William Robert Lesley in 1802, the family of Robert and Elizabeth Compton Lesley increased to 15 children. The first log cabin was replaced by a larger one across the fields where there were more level space. More land was cleared and planted in a variety of grain and other foodstuffs..."

The Leslie/Lesley publication also gives the reader the answer as to why the historical marker was placed at the corner of Hurt's Branch Road. "After a number of years the approximately 500 acres of the original Lesley homestead was again purchased by a descendant of the first settlers. In 1889, Garland Hurt, a great grandson of Robert and Elizabeth Lesley, was married and soon thereafter brought his bride to the ancestral home. He rebuilt entirely most of the buildings which were very much run down..."

While our day trip car thermometer read in the 90's as I stepped out to take pictures, the soft breeze was refreshing and the air crisp. The overhanging trees shaded the road as we drove to Snivley Chapel.

Snivley Chapel was deeded to the church trustees in 1853 by Robert and Elizabeth's youngest son Martin Lesley who died six years later. I fell in love with this little chapel sitting by the side of the road graced by beautiful trees. The pretty little Methodist church was named for circuit minister Rev.
W. J. Snivley.

We hated to say goodbye to Lesley Settlement and the charm of John's Creek. A little further down the road we saw cattle and a donkey enjoying the refreshing coolness of the creek bed. But, it was time to head north to see what other discoveries Eastern Kentucky had to share with us.

01 July 2010

The 16th Virginia Cavalry was a Confederate States Army regiment. Jack L. Dickinson compiled a history and published it in 1989. The 16th was organized in January 1863 by consolidation of six companies of Ferguson's Battalion Virginia Cavalry.

The compiled statistics show that among the Virginia residents 304 enlisted from Tazewell County and 170 from Russell County, Virginia in units of the 16th.

At least two of gentleman on the 16th roster later resided in Boyd County, Kentucky.

James P. McGlothlin was a Private and enlisted in August 1862 from Tazewell county. He quickly made the rank of Corporal. Born 24 August 1844, he was only 18 years old when he enlisted prior to the formation of the 16th.

While in service he married 7 January 1864 in Tazewell County, Virginia to Elzema Elswick. October 22nd, that same year, their first child, George W. McGlothlin was born. The pay dockets for Company C remark that he deserted, absent without leave, from October 1, 1864, just three weeks prior the birth of his son. Did he make it home? It is highly unlikely. The family knew nothing about a desertion.

Dickinson notes in the roster that he" surrendered and was paroled" at Appomattox Court House. This wording is incorrect. Dickinson failed to read the entire wording of the report slip. In full it reads Prisoners of war belonging to the Army of Northern Virginia who have been this day surrendered by General Robert E. Lee, C. S.A. commanding said Army to Lieut. Genl. U. S. Grant, commanding Armies of the United States, paroled [written over struck out typed word done] at Appomattox Court House, Virginia April 9, 1865." McGlothlin may well have left his unit to try and make it home for the birth of his child and may have been captured. Many were marked as absent and deserted when their whereabouts became unknown because of lack of field information.There is no other information in his record. The term parole written in on his record indicates he had been arrested.

In November 1873 William Geiger made an entry in the diary he kept in Boyd County, Kentucky "McGlothlin/Elswick commenced house at county road." The county road today is Route #3 near the turn to Trace. They became an established family in the community.

James wife Elzema died 18 October 1900. J. P. had a rather short lived 2nd marriage to Mary Jane Ratliff Blevins 16 November 1901 that ended in divorce. James P. McGlothlin, son of Robert and Rebecca Correl McGlothlin died 23 February 1904 in Boyd County. He is buried in McGlothlin Cemetery on a knoll overlooking Trace Big Run Road.

James Madison Finney and his brother William Finney both enlisted in Company A of the 16th at Lebanon, Russell County, Virginia in early 1864. They were the sons of James Finney and his wife Dorcas Lockhart of Russell County, Virginia. William Finney had transferred from the Mississippi

Infantry to the 16th in January and his brother followed suite by enlisting in March the same year. James Madison was 20 years old when he enlisted.

James Madison Finney married Lucinda Karen Powell 14 September 1871 in Boyd County, Kentucky. He and his wife [daughter of Burr] settled on Durbin in Boyd County, Kentucky where he owned and operated a farm. James M. died of heart disease 24 may 1915. The family were members of Kavanaugh Chapel and are buried beside the pretty little church located on Route #23.

Lucinda appeared in Boyd County Court [Boyd County Court Order book 15 page 356] September 1928 and offered evidence by affidavit for a confederate soldier's widow pension under the laws of the state of Kentucky. She stated that Finney was a confederate soldier in the 16th Regiment Company A and served until the close of the war. Lucinda by reason of age and health and worth of less that $2500.00 with income less than $300.00 per year required a pension. Evidence was provided by Sam Turman, H. E. Ferguson, E. P. Finney and S. F. Reynolds. The court approved the pension.

E. P. Finney who gave evidence was Edward Price Finney also from Lebanon, Russell County, Virginia. His daughter Mary Edward Finney married Leonard Klaiber. They are also buried in Kavanuagh Chapel Cemetery. Edward Price Finney was the son of William Finney and his wife Sally Price.